Thermostatically controlled radiator valve



May 29, 1951 E. J. zl-:mm 2,555,254

THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED RADIATOR VALVE Filed Nov. l2, 1947 IN VEN TOR. EDWARD J Z @ITL/Af Patented May v29, 1951 UNITED TATES PTENT QEFICE THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED RADIATOR VALVE Edward J. Zeitlin, Yorktown, N. Y.

Application November 12, 1947, Serial No. 785,223

8 Claims. l

This invention relates to a thermostatically controlled radiator valve and more particularly t a radiator air release valve that is opened or closed by a thermostatic means controlled by room temperature.

An object of this invention is to provide a radiator air release valve that will control the opening or closing of the valve based upon the surrounding room temperature.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a radiator air release valve that is provided with a single valve means but a double control for said Valve, one control effecting the closing of the valve due to the temperature of the steam entering the valve, the other control being connected to thermostatic means to open or close the valve according to room temperature.

A further object of this invention is to provide a steam radiator air control valve that is provided with a single valveV means but a double control for said valve, one control effecting the closing of the valve due to the temperature of the steam entering the valve, the other control being connected to a temperature responsive element to open or close the valve to a greater or lesser degree according to the ambient temperature surrounding the temperature responsive element.

A further object of this invention is to provide a steam radiator air control valve in which the orifice area is varied inversely with the rise or drop in room temperature.

Other objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of f the Valve,

Figure 2 illustrates a cross sectional View oi another embodiment of this invention,

Figure 3 illustrates an end elevational view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 illustrates a partial view of a valve similar to Figure 1 and a temperature responsive element both shown partially in cross section.

Referring to Figure 1 which illustrates a cross sectional View of a valve according to this invention there is a main body I0 having a threaded end II for attachment to a radiator (not shown). The body Ill is in the shape of a hollow elbow member having a port I2 at one end and an open bore I4 at its other end.

An outer shell or casing I5 is secured to the body l0 by welding or otherwise. The shell forms a lip or stop ISA to limit the movement of a valve seat I6 which is slidably mounted in the bore I4, and a spring II is mounted between the 2 seat I5 and a shoulder i8 of the bore It. Thus the seat IS will be pressed outwardly from the shoulder I8, and limited in its outward movement by the stop 15A. A shell 20 is threadably secured to member I5 and is provided with a stop pin 2| so that when member 20 has been secured it may be turned one revolution or less for adjustment purposes. Member 2U also supports a thermostatic bellows 23 that is joined to a diaphragm 2Q to thus enclose a chamber 25. The chamber 25 is filled with a liquid that is afected by changes in temperature to expand with a rise in temperature according to a prescribed range of temperatures, in this instance varying between 50 and 85. A stem 21 with a passage 2S is also sealed to the end portion 28 of the bellows 23. The stem 21 is either a part of or affixed to a valve head 29, the valve head conforming to and mating with the valve seat IS. The passage 26 extends through the valve head 29 and is open to and connected with a fluid chamber 3E. The chamber 30 and passage 2G is lled with a uid similar to the chamber 25. It is necessary to prei-ill both chambers and passage and to set shell 20 in an exact relationship with the casing I5, so that casing l5 may be calibrated around its periphery 3| and thus have the valve 29 open and close according to predetermined temperature settings. The valve as illustrated in the drawing is positioned with the threaded end Il in the uppermost position. This particular positioning was provided so that the hot air escaping as indicated by the arrows would rise and thus would not affect the outer shell of member 20 and by convection effect a true temperature response. The valve Ill may also be inverted and mounted so that the threaded end I I would appear at the lower portion of the drawing. In operation the valve will be vmounted to a radiator by means of its threaded portion II. With chamber 30, passage 26 and chamber 25 prenlled the valve is ready for use. When member 2t has been properly positioned according to the calibrated scale SI, the arrow 33 may be moved right or left to the temperature setting desired. When the room temperature is lower than the valve setting on scale 3l the valve will be open, thus air may escape from the radiator past valve seat l@ and out the openings 34 as shown by the arrows, until steam or vapor reaches the chamber Sil. The ambient heat around chamber will cause the liquid to expand and the fluid pressure will be carried through the passage 26 and exert a pressure on the bellows 23, thus the valve 29 will be pressed firmly on the seat I6. The action of the valve in this instance is to close when steam or hot vapor contacts the chamber to thus close oi the flow and prevent the escape of vapor or steam. Any excessive pressure due to the expansion of the liquid in the chambers will force valve seat l to be pressed rmly against the spring l1; this movement of the seat provides an over-ride action. The air flow normally passing valve seat IB when the valve is open may also be stopped by other means affecting the action of the thermostatic bellows 23, that is in the event the room temperature is above the setting of the valve according to the scale 3l then the valve 29 will be closed. The outside room temperature or ambient temperature thus affects the uid in chamber 25 and the fluid produces a pressure on the bellows 23 thus closing the Valve. It is to be noted that chamber 25 presents a large area for the action of slight variations in temperature whereas chamber 3Q presents a very small area for the large variation of heat, that is, steam or vapor will normally give a rapid rise in temperature. Thus chamber 25 responds to small variations in temperature for opening or closing valve 29 whereas chamber` Si? responds to the large variation in temperature caused by the contact of steam or vapor, thus a very quick response is obtained. It is to be noted that the valve functions as a normal radiator valve to cut 01T the escape of steam or vapor. It is to be further noted that the escape of air, if hot, past the seat I6 will pass out openings 35 and will tend to rise, thus the air ow has little or no effect on the thermostatic bellows element.

Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated another embodiment of this invention in which there is a main valve body 48 having a threaded end 4i for attachment to a radiator (not shown). The body 4i! is tubular in formation, one end having a port 42 passing through the threaded portion 4l. The body 40 is provided with three different 'diameter bores on the opposite end to the port 42. The main portion 43 is the smallest in diameter, a portion 44 is slightly larger and a portion 45 forms the largest bore. end of bore 45 may be threaded or may be welded to a tubular member 55. The member 58 at one end thereof supports a diaphragm 5| having a bellows 52 integral therewith. The bellows 52 is provided with a base 53 and a stem 54 is mounted on the base 53. The stem 54 is provided with a valve head 55 having a valve face 55 that normally abuts with a valve seat 51. The valve seat 51 is slidably mounted in the bore 44 and is resiliently retained against the valve face 58 by a spring 58, that is also mounted in the bore 44, and bears against a shoulder 58. The stem 54 extends through the valve head 55 into the bore 43 of the main body 40. There is a passage 5i) through the center of the stem 54. On the end of the stem 54 in the main body l0 of the valve, there is a iluid chamber 52 that is sealed except for the passage 5I) with which the chamber connects. The opposite end of passage 50 opens through the base 53 into a iiuid chamber 65 that is enclosed by the diaphragm 5l and bellows 52 on one end 0f the member 59 and is provided with a diaphragm 68 and a bellows 61 that is positioned in an opposite relationship to the bellows 52, to close the opposed end of the chamber 65. The member 50 is provided with a threaded extension 69 on which an adjusting cap 1E! is threadably secured. The cap 'lll is provided with a pusher bar 1l that bears against the base of the bellows 61. As in the embodiment illustrated The outer in Figure 1 it is necessary to prenll the fluid chamber 62, passage 6|] and chamber 55. The cap 10 must be adjusted until the bellows 61 exerts enough pressure on the fluid in chamber 65 to produce the desired pressure on the bellows 52 and stem 54 to in turn position the valve face 56 against its valve seat 51 producing a closed position at a predetermined ambient temperature. The cap 1l] when turned to its minimum temperature setting should open valve 55 to thus allow the escape of air from the radiator as in normal operation. The functioning of the structure is similar to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, that is when the valve 48 is secured to a radiator by means of its threaded end 4I, it is ready to control the escape of air from that radiator. As normally is the case the air will pass the valve 55 and escape out a plurality of apertures 3'4. When steam or vapor contacts the chamber 62 the rise in temperature will cause the fluid therein to expand and thus exert a iluid pressure through passage on the uid in chamber 55 and in turn on the bellows 52 to move the valve stem 54 and in turn close the valve face against its valve seat 51, closing the escape of steam or Vapor from the valve. Similarly when the valve is open any temperature rise surrounding the fluid chamber 55 will produce an expansion of the iiuid therein and cause the valve to be closed, thus cutting off the normal escape of air from the radiator and thus preventing it from becoming heated by the steam. In effect the radiator is air locked until the ambient temperature drops and allows the valve to be opened again. It is apparent that cap 1l) may be turned according to Figures 2 and 3 until a new temperature setting is obtained, thus the valve will function as described above except that it will close when the ambient temperature is the same as the new temperature setting.

Referring to Figure 4, there is still a further embodiment illustrated, utilizing a valve similar to that shown in Figure 1 but in addition the member 28 is provided with an outlet 15 that is connected to a tube 16. The tube 1B is in turn connected to a remote temperature responsive element 80 and specifically to a fluid port 8|. The element 80 is comprised of a fluid lled tubular element that forms a chamber 82, the chamber being illed with the same uid that lls the member 28 and therefore lls the tube 16 that is open to both chambers. is provided with a diaphragm 83 having a bellows 84 mounted thereon to close one end 85 of the tubular element 50. The end B5 is provided with an external thread 86 so that an adjusting cap 81 may be threadably secured. The cap 81 is provided with a pusher bar 88 that extends inwardly to bear against a base 89 of the bellows 84. The cap 81 is threadably secured to element 8U and adjusted to a predetermined calibrated position so that the valve 29 as shown in Fig. 1 will be closed by the iiuid pressure when the ambient temperature about the element 8l] is above the calibrated setting of the cap 87. The cap 31 is calibrated similar to the cap 10 illustrated in Figure 2 and functions in a similar manner. Therefore any desired setting of cap 81 between a minimum and maximum temperature setting will in turn open or close the valve 29 according to the iiuid pressure on the bellows 23; this in turn controls the flow of air or steam that may be held in check by the valve when connected to a steam radiator. In View of the temperature setting cap member 81 it is appar- The element 88- ent that the valve unit I when connected as shown in Figure 4, does not require the scale 3| and threadably secured mounting of member 20. Member 20 should be set with relation to member I5 so that all adjustments are controlled by cap 81.

Various changes and modifications may be made to this device without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A thermostatically controlled radiator air release Valve comprising a casing that forms a seat for a single valve to control the escape of air, a thermostatic unit threadably secured to said casing, said unit expanding or contracting with the rise or drop in temperature in the surrounding air, said unit supporting the valve adjacent to its seat to open or close according to the prevailing temperature, said thermostatic unit connected to a temperature responsive element located within said casing and on the opposite side of said valve to said unit, said temperature responsive element responding to the temperature of the fluid issuing from the radiator, said thermostatic unit expanding or contracting with the rise or drop in temperature of the iiuid issuing from the radiator to in turn open or close said valve.

2. A thermostatic air release valve for steam radiators that is controlled by surrounding room temperature comprising a casing enclosing a single valve and a thermostatic element, said thermostatic element divided into a pair of fluid chambers with a'hollow tube connecting both chambers, a fluid lling each chamber and said tube, said hollow tube supporting said single valve, said casingv provided with a Valve seat adjacent to and mating with said valve means to eiTect the movement of said normally open valve to a closed position with a predetermined rise in temperature around the one chamber that is affected by room temperature, and means to effect a rapid movement of said valve to a closed position with a sudden rise of the temperature around said other chamber that is affected by the iluid temperature. A

3. In a device according to claim 1, which includes a separate valve seat iitted into said casing to provide a tight seal but allow a reciprocating movement, a spring mounted in said casing under said valve seat to protect said valve from excessive pressure when there is an unusual rise in the prevailing temperature.

4. A thermostatic air release valve for steam radiators that is controlled by surrounding room temperature and is also effected by the temperature of the iiuid issuing from the radiator comprising a casing that forms a seat for a single valve to control the escape of air from vsaid radiator, a thermostatic unit threadably secured to said casing and supporting the Valve element adjacent to its seat to open or close according to the prevailing temperature, said thermostatic unit divided into a first and second fluid chamber with a hollow tube connecting both chambers, a uid filling each chamber and said tube, said first iiuid chamber located outside of said casing on one side of said valve, and said second fluid chamber located inside said casing on the opposite side of said valve, said hollow tube passing through said valve, said rst fluid chamber responding to the temperature of the air surrounding sai-d casing and thermostatic unit to expand or contract said thermostatic unit and in turn open or close said valve, said second fluid chamber responding to the temperature of the iiuid issuing from the radiator to expand or contract said thermostatic unit and in turn open or close said valve.

5. In a device according to claim 4, said casing being cylindrical with an inlet port at one end and said valve seat at the opposite end and in which said thermostatic unit that is aiected by room temperature is mounted to said casing opposite to the inlet port, to prevent the exposure of said thermostatic unit to the steam entering said valve.

6. In a device according to claim 1, said thermostatic unit comprised of a diaphragm and second casing to enclose a fluid, a calibrated pressure element threadably secured to said second casing and bearing against said diaphragm, means to change the degree of opening of said valve to change the temperature setting at which the valve will open or close.

'7. In a device according to claim l, said thermostatic unit comprised of a diaphragm and second casing to enclose a fluid, a calibrated pressure element threadably secured to said second casing and bearing against said diaphragm, means to increase or decrease the orifice opening of said valve in direct relation with the drop or rise in ambient temperature around said casing.

8. In a device according to claim 4, said rst fluid chamber comprised of a diaphragm and second casing, a calibrated pressure element threadably secured to said thermostatic unit and bearing against said diaphragm, means to change the degree of pressure on said diaphragm to change the temperature setting at which the valve will open or close.

EDWARD J. ZEITLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,634 Brigham Jan. 26, 1892 '799,505 Wadsworth Sept. 12, 1905 1,054,805 Tillinghast Mar. 4, 1913 1,680,591 Bugenhagen Aug, 14, 1928 1,941,359 Lawler Dec. 26, 1933 2,038,435 Lund Apr. 21, 1936 2,401,025 Smith May 28, 1946 

